The Chicago Bears are worried about one thing with Justin Fields. Will he be a good player on the field? That is what they need. For him to win football games. However, for the NFL? The desires go beyond that. Their goal is to find that next marketable superstar. Somebody who can be one of the faces of the league. No Bears quarterback has achieved such status before. Not even Jim McMahon despite his brief popularity in the mid-1980s.
Could Fields be different? The NFL Players Association seems to think so. They released their annual list of rookies and veterans who are poised for breakout seasons. Players they feel will be among the best not just on the field but also in terms of moving merchandise. Of the top 10 rookies listed, Trevor Lawrence was #1. Hardly a surprise given his status as the 1st overall pick. Yet right behind him at #2?
Yep. It was Fields.
What makes this so delicious is that Fields ranked ahead of the quarterbacks who went ahead of him. Zach Wilson went #2 overall but ranked 3rd on the list. Trey Lance went #3 overall but ranked 4th. It seems the money people have higher expectations of Fields than a lot of the scouts and personnel executives in the NFL. He already proved as much at Ohio State where he became a star.
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Now you put a young man of that talent in a rabid football town like Chicago? One of the largest sports markets in the entire country? The dollar signs running through the heads of some of those people must be rather insane. There is so much untapped potential to explore.
Justin Fields could own Chicago before 2021 is even over
That is how thirsty the city is for a quarterback. If they were that ecstatic about the mere drafting of Fields, there is no telling what might happen if he comes in as a rookie and plays well. He’d be the first of his kind. Mitch Trubisky? Rex Grossman? Cade McNown? Jim Harbaugh? Jim McMahon? None of them were able to showcase much as rookies. Fields would be the first in that regard.
Given how much of a football town Chicago is, the sheer financial possibilities are endless. Jersey sales alone would be ridiculous. To say nothing of the other avenues the Bears could take advantage of. Ticket sales being one. They’d be able to raise prices almost at their leisure. If fans were willing to watch this team in droves even when it wasn’t that good? Imagine what they’ll pay to see a genuine franchise quarterback.
This is why George McCaskey let GM Ryan Pace do what he did.
Quarterbacks help a team win. That is the top priority. At the same time, quarterbacks also generate cash flow. Just look at what Tom Brady did when he went to Tampa Bay. Quarterbacks are potential gold mines and Chicago could very well be the equivalent of South Deep if Justin Fields ends up being what everybody hopes.